Feast of international Solo racing at Gillman Speedway
Gillman Media 23 December 2025
Adelaide fans can look forward to a feast of International Solo action with the three major meetings of the season set for Gillman Speedway over a two week period over the post-Christmas/early new year period, starting with the Ray White Gawler South Australian Championship this Sunday night, 28 December.
24 riders from the USA, England, New Zealand, Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, Western Australia, and, of course, South Australia, have entered for the state championship, which should ensure some cracking racing not only in the championship events, but the support events also as there will be some quality riders who miss out on the main event.
Faced with a difficult task of selecting the line-up for the championship, the Motorcycling South Australia Speedway Sports Manager has chosen to seed 14 riders, with the other 10 contesting time trials to decide the remaining two championship berths.
While the likely champion is hard to predict, the favourite for many will be 26-year-old Luke Becker from Brentwood, California. Becker is the number one American rider competing in Europe and in 2025 he rode for Leicester in the British League, Ostrów in Poland, Indianerna in Sweden and Esbjerg in Denmark. If he can win he will be the first American rider to win the title.
Another overseas rider who should figure prominently is England’s Scott Nicholls. The former Speedway Grand Prix rider, and seven-time British Champion is now a veteran in the sport, but is still a leading rider for Plymouth in the British Championship league.
At the other end of the experience scale are two other English riders, 22-year-old Leon Flint, who rides for Sheffield, with the Holder brothers, in Britain, and Landshut in the Polish league, and 18-year-old Luke Harrison who won the British Under-19 Championship in October.
New Zealand will be represented by two riders who have raced at Gillman before, Jake Turner from Auckland, and Ben Whalley from Christchurch. Turner finished second in the 2023 title and third in 2024, while Whalley is the current New Zealand Champion. But, such is the strength of the line-up, Whalley has only been chosen for the qualifying time trials.
The other seeded riders are Queenslanders Tate Zischke and Jacob Hook, WA’s Mitchell McDiarmid, Victorians Justin Sedgmen, Jack Morrison and Dayle Wood, NSW’s Alexander Adamson and local riders Fraser Bowes and Harry Sadler.
17-year-old McDiarmid is the current WA champion and the youngest rider to win the title when he won the 2025 title as a 16-year-old. Sedgmen is a four-time Victorian champion and three-time SA champion, and Bowes has been runner-up in three of the last four SA championships. He is desperate to take the top spot on the podium but this year’s event is probably the toughest line-up he has faced. Zischke, Hook, McDiarmid, Sedgmen, Wood and Bowes all rode in the British League this year, making 10 current British League riders in the 14 seeded riders.
Joining the NZ champion Whalley in the qualifying will be Mitchell Cluff, Noah Grabham and Lachlan Russell from NSW, Matthew Marson and Jack McDiarmid from WA, Isaiah Hartley and Tayla Street from Victoria and SA riders Steven Graetz and Jack Norman. Cluff’s inclusion in the qualifying again emphasises the strength of the line-up as he is the defending champion after beating Fraser Bowes in a thrilling race, in which the lead changed several times, last season.
The format of the championship is 20 heats with the highest three point scorers going into a final along with the winner of a last-chance semi-final for the fourth to seventh highest scorers.
Also on the programme is the South Australian 250cc Solo Championship for riders under 16, and the line-up includes nine of the riders, from Qld, NSW, Vic, WA and SA, who contested the recent Australian Championship, including winner Cooper Antone, and also has a dash of international flavour with the inclusion of Danish youngster Storm Thomsen.
As usual, the under 16 125cc riders, including newly crowned Australian champion Blake Schlein from Mildura, will compete on the infield junior track during the main track grades.
Gates will open at 4pm, and the first heat will start at 7pm, following the qualifying time trails and a track prep.
For those that can’t attend, the meeting will be livestreamed through the website link https://www.spacequakesports.com. As always this is the only official livestreaming link. Any other links touted on facebook sites (other than the official Gillman speedway facebook site) are scams and should be ignored.
Everything You Need To Know:
Meeting Date: Sunday, 28 December 2025
Venue: Gillman Speedway (‘Ray White Gawler’ Stadium), 65 Wilkins Road, Gillman – near the Port Adelaide area.
Parking and entrance: Patrons can enter via gates at the western and eastern ends of the venue. There are free off-street parking areas near both gates.
Gates open: at 4 pm.
Pit access for spectators: Free spectator access to the pits until rider briefing/practice (approx. 6.15pm).
Racing starts: at 7 pm.
Competitors:
Ray White Gawler South Australian 500cc Solo Championship: Seeded riders: Alexander Adamson (NSW)… Luke Becker (USA)… Fraser Bowes (SA)… Leon Flint (England)… Luke Harrison (England)… Jacob Hook (Qld)… Mitchell McDiarmid (WA)… Jack Morrison (Vic)… Scott Nicholls (Eng)… Harry Sadler (SA)... Justin Sedgmen (Vic)… Tate Zischke (Qld)… Jake Turner (NZ)... Dayle Wood (Vic). Qualifying (fastest two go into the championship, others into support races): Mitchell Cluff (NSW)…Noah Grabham (NSW)…Steven Graetz (SA)…Isaiah Hartley (Vic)…Matthew Marson (WA)…Jack McDiarmid (WA)…Jack Norman (SA)…Lachlan Russell (NSW)…Tayla Street (Vic)…Ben Whalley (NZ).
Under 16 250cc South Australian Solo Championship: Cooper Antone (NSW)…Kobi Canning (SA)… Ruby Chapman (SA)… Phoenix Elliott (WA)… Angus Hume (Vic)…Axle McCarthy (WA)... Ky Mitchell (Qld)…Nate Shortt (Vic)…Nate Smith (Vic)… Storm Thomsen (Denmark). Thomsen replacing Jacob Adamson (NSW).
Under 16 125cc Solos on the infield track during the main track grades: Owen Chapman (SA)…Cooper Karpinski (SA)…Chase Maul-Dunn (SA)…William Nicol (SA)... Hayden Pascoe (SA)... Nate Sadler (SA)... Blake Schlein (Vic)…Riley Stout (SA).
Admission: Adults $25, Age Pension and Student Concession $20, Children under 16 free. Parking free. Programme $5-includes two chances to win $50 fuel vouchers. EFTPOS available at both entrances, the canteen, bar and souvenir shop.
Concession is limited to holders of the Centrelink Pensioner Concession Card and Student Concession card holders only.
Livestreaming: This meeting will be livestreamed on https://www.spacequakesports.com. The cost is $25 Australian. Any other claimed links to livestreaming are scams and should be ignored.
Seating: Free grandstand seating, terracing suitable for deck chairs, and large grassed viewing mounds.
VIP Area: The Bob White VIP area is available to anyone who would like to treat their business colleagues, family or friends to the best view in the stadium. Enjoy the elevated view overlooking the track, either from inside the temperature controlled rooms, on the timber deck, or on the enclosed lawn area. The VIP area also has its own bar and toilet. Ring Ivan Golding on 0417 138 378 for more details.
Food and drink: Full bar and catering available. Food includes hot chips, hamburgers, chicken burgers, pies, pasties, sausage rolls, Chiko Rolls, dim sims, hot dogs, doughnuts, coffee, cold drinks, sweets. “Gillman has far and away the best speedway tucker” [Peter White’s Speedway World]
Please note a condition of our liquor licence is no byo alcohol or glass can be brought into the venue.
Smoking, Vaping: by Government legislation, no smoking or vaping allowed within the green fenced area at this venue.
Souvenirs: There is a well-stocked souvenir shop. See the “A Night At Gillman” tab.
Pets: No animals are allowed into the venue except assistance animals, eg guide dogs.
Weather Forecast as at 23 December: Maximum 36, minimum 20. Sunny. No rain. [www.bom.gov.au/sa/forecasts/adelaide.shtml]
Directions:
The best way to get to Gillman Speedway is off Hanson Road.
If you are coming from the eastern and southern suburbs, get on to Hanson road off Torrens Road or Grand Junction Road, travel north on Hanson road over the train line then take the first road on the left, which is Wilkins road.
From the northern suburbs, travel down the Port Adelaide expressway and take the Hanson Road exit. Once on Hanson Road, take the first exit on your right, this is Wilkins road.
From the western suburbs, Wilkins Road is the continuation of Bedford Street, north of Eastern Parade.
For interstate visitors flying into Adelaide and getting a hire car, Gillman is about 20kms, and 30 minutes’ drive (depending on traffic lights) from the airport.
The easiest and most direct way from the airport, if not going to your accommodation first is:
On leaving the airport, turn left onto Sir Donald Bradman Drive. Continue along Sir Donald Bradman Drive until you reach the end of the airport grounds and turn right onto Tapleys Hill Road. Keep going on Tapleys Hill Road until you can’t go any further. That’s Port Road. Turn left onto Port Road (you can only turn left). Continue down Port Road for about 1 km to the first intersection which is Grand Junction road and turn right. Go 700 metres along Grand Junction Road, over a bridge over a railway line. Stay in the left lane because at the bottom of the bridge you turn left into Gray Terrace. Go to the end of Gray Terrace and turn right onto Bedford Street. Keep going on that road until you get to the speedway. About 2km.
Accommodation: There is plenty of accommodation in Adelaide and suburbs, within 20-30 minutes of the Speedway, ranging from five star hotels to caravan parks and backpacker hostels.
Contact for this meeting: Ivan Golding 0417 138 378.